Alex & Co.

Alex & Co.
Genre	Situation comedy Teen comedy
Created by	Marina Efron Versiglia
Starring	Leonardo Cecchi Beatrice Vendramin Eleonora Gaggero Federico Russo Saul Nanni
Theme music composer	Federica Camba Daniele Coro Enrico Sibilla
Opening theme	"Music Speaks"[lower-alpha 1]
Country of origin	Italy
Original language(s)	Italian
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	41 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Nadia Grippiolo Lucio Wilson
Producer(s)	Piero Crispino
Camera setup	Videotape Single-camera
Running time	22 minutes (episode)
Production company(s)	The Walt Disney Company Italy 3Zero2
Distributor	Disney Channel Italy
Release
Original network	Disney Channel Italy
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	May 11, 2015 (2015-05-11)
External links
Official website

Alex & Co. is an Italian sitcom that premiered on Disney Channel Italy on May 11, 2015. It is directed by Claudio Norza. The series tells the story of five friends beginning their first year of high school.

The series premiered in Italy on May 11, 2015, and the first season ended on May 27, 2015. The second season debuted on September 27, 2015 and ended in November 2015.

On January 30, 2016, Disney Channel confirmed that the series was renewed for a third season.^[1]

Summary

Season 1

The series tells the story of Alex, a smart, brave and vivacious teenager, who starts high school at the Melsher Institute with his childhood friends, Nicole and Christian. Alex is hopeful and well intentioned. Nicole is a sensitive girl who is secretly in love with Alex. Christian is interested in sports and is successful with girls. The group is immediately joined by shy fellow student Sam, and a beautiful girl named Emma. Alex instantly falls in love with Emma. The teenagers become great friends, while making the acquaintance of Linda and her group of fake friends: Samantha, Rebecca, Tom and Barto.

Before he began high school, Alex imagined high school as a party, but soon realises he was wrong. Headmaster Ferrari wants the institution to maintain its lead rank in academics, leaving behind activities like music, singing, and acting. Fortunately for the group, Professor Belli, their literature teacher, encourages the students to follow their dreams. After Linda sends Alex and his friends to an old, forbidden part of the school, the group discovers a secret place in the basement, where they decide to form a band called Sound Aloud. In the following days, the group decides to upload a music video with the intent to become famous. With the success of the video, a record producer named Mr. Smith discovers the group and offers them an opportunity to record an album, but only if Sam is left out.

Headmaster Ferrari, who is also Emma's father, does not want his daughter to sing. Nicole takes her place and sings a duet with Alex, singing the song that Alex and Emma wrote. After the festival, Alex discovers his feelings for Nicole. However, he knows they cannot be together because of his relationship with Emma, and he does not want to destroy his and Nicole's friendship.

At the end of the year, the Melsher Institute wins the academic school race, and the principal organizes a year-end concert to raise money for Sam's scholarship. Shortly before the concert, Alex and Emma break up, and Alex and Nicole can finally be together. Headmaster Ferrari announces that in addition to the sum raised by Belli, next year the school will have spaces to practice music and drama. The concert is a success. In the end, Christian realizes he is in love with Emma while Alex's parents announce that they plan on moving to the United States.

Season 2

Summer is over and Alex's parents announce they are moving to the United States. Alex is not happy, and together with Joe and his friends he tries to stay. Some time passes, and Alex realizes he must move because his mother is ill. He decides to accompany her, but discovers his mother is pregnant. Meanwhile, the Melsher Institute begins a new year and the group cannot wait to spend time together again. Rebecca and Sam realize they love each other, and they become a couple. The group decide to participate in The Talent, a talent show where they could win a recording contract and a European tour. The gang decide to change the name of the band to Alex & Co. However, they discover they are not the only band to perform: Linda and her friends have formed a band called The Lindas. Linda's mother (Mrs. Williams) wants her daughter to win, so she buys a song from Mr. Smith, a record producer and one of the talent show's panelists. Sam discovers the deception and the group plans to reveal it to the creator of The Talent. Tension among the members of Alex & Co. cause Alex and Nicole to begin an on-and-off relationship. Eventually, they reunite as a couple. Emma and Christian date momentarily until Linda tells a lie that causes them to break up. They reunite after Rebecca reveals the truth about Linda's lie. Alex & Co. separate for some time, and Alex is then offered a solo recording contract. However, he declines the offer and brings the band back together. In the last episode, as Alex & Co. are about perform on stage, Joe calls Alex to tell him his mother is in labor and that she has given birth to a baby girl. After meeting his new little sister for the first time, Alex performs "We Are One," and the band reveals the deception of The Lindas. Alex & Co. win the talent show, but Nicole realizes that this is not how she wants to win, and decides to leave the band and end her relationship with Alex.

Season 3

It is about to begin a new year in the Melsher Institute, where a new student, Clio, has arrived. The girl, who hides a big secret, will have a very troubled relationship with Alex. On the other hand, Emma will have serious health problems due to the firing of his father. This will take her away from her dream, her friends, her boyfriend Christian and recording the album they were preparing for the record company. When things start going in the right direction, a masked artist who has begun to succeed on the internet will appear, altering the balance of the group.

Episodes

Music

The first album from the series, titled We Are One, was released on January 29, 2016 in Italy.^[2] It consists of songs from the first and second seasons.

Cast and characters

Main characters

• Alex Leoni, played by Leonardo Cecchi.
  He is fifteen years old. Alex is kind, intelligent, and always defends his friends. He tries to be helpful to those who rely on him. During the first days of school, he falls in love with Emma, a young and beautiful classmate, who reciprocates his feelings. However, by the end of the school year, Alex realizes he does not have feelings for Emma, and he builds a strong relationship with Nicole instead.
• Nicole De Ponte, played by Eleonora Gaggero.
  Nicole is Alex's best friend of many years. She takes things very seriously and always tries to change what does not go well. She has a talent for singing, but is ashamed to sing in public. During the series, she overcomes this fear. During the summer, she realizes her feelings for Alex. After a difficult political battle with Linda, Nicole becomes the student president and the only person who does not fear Linda. When she sees Emma and Alex together, she becomes very frustrated. However, she and Alex eventually begin a relationship.
• Emma Ferrari, played by Beatrice Vendramin.
  Emma is kind and loved by all for her beauty, and she is aware of it. On the outside, she appears courageous and self-confident. However, she needs constant approval from her friends. She also conceals a big secret: she is the daughter of Headmaster Ferrari. At the beginning of the series, Emma is in love with Alex, but she's later unsure of her feelings for him. Her great passion is singing: she likes the idea of forming a band with Alex and the others. In the second season she falls in love with Christian and the two date.
• Samuele "Sam" Costa, played by Federico Russo.
  Sam is a hardworking student. He is responsible, but shy. He often gets high grades, and dreams of being admitted into one of the best universities. However, he does not have the financial resources, and therefore he works at the part-time jobs to earn money. During the series, this character grows more courageous. In the last episode of season 2, his friends organize a concert to raise funds for his scholarship. In the second series, he discovers the identity of Math Girl, but understands that they are not made for each other. He also falls in love with Rebecca, and she reciprocates the feelings for him.
• Christian Alessi, played by Saul Nanni.
  He is the best friend of Alex since they were children. He is always cheerful, friendly and very nice but not a cocky guy. For a certain period of time, he is replaced by Tom in the role of football team captain, due to a leg injury, caused by Tom himself. He is admired by all the girls, especially Linda, but he does not want her as a girlfriend. He always gives advice on love. In the last episode of the first season, Christian writes a love song dedicated to Emma called "Impossible Love". In the second season, the two end up together.

Recurring characters

• Linda Rossetti, played by Lucrezia Roberta Di Michele.
  She's considered the "queen" of the high school and is engaged to the former captain of the football team, Tom. Even so, she is in love with Christian, who does not reciprocate her feelings. She is always accompanied by Rebecca and Samantha and is feared by all. She attempts to sabotage Alex and his friends. In the second season, she forms a band, called "The Lindas", to compete against Alex and his friends.
• Tom, played by Daniele Rampello.
  Although it is only in his second year, Tom is already the leader and former captain of the football team. He is the nemesis of Alex and his friends, and, helped by Barto and Linda, attempts to destroy them in several ways. Christian especially hates Tom, especially after he wins the captain's armband on the soccer team and after seeing him kiss Linda. When he realizes that his love for Linda is not reciprocated, he leaves her.
• Rebecca, played by Giulia Guerrini.
  Rebecca is Linda's best friend and the second most popular girl in the school. She replies "Absolutely" to every statement by Linda. In the second season, she discovers her great singing voice. She also falls in love with Sam, who tutors her to help her improve her grades. He writes a song about the love story shared by her and Sam, and they end up performing it together. Sam tells Rebecca that Linda and her mother have bought a song from Mr. Smith (a judge of The Talent and the famous music recorder that offered Alex and his friends a recording contract) to win The Talent competition.
• Samantha, played by Asia Corvino.
  Samantha is pretty, but stupid and not clever. She loves shoes and the color pink. No one understands why she is Linda's friend. She always agrees with Linda, responding with "of course" to all Linda's statements.
• Barto, played by Anis Romdhane.
  He is the school bully and Tom's best friend. He is not interested in studying and prefers using violence and threats. His sole purpose is to satisfy his 'boss', Tom. In the second season of the series, he is in the same class as Alex and his friends. Barto conceives a plan to make Emma fall in love with him and leave her current boyfriend, Christian, because Tom and Linda asked him to do so. He eventually falls in love with Emma but it is not mutual.
• David, played by Jacopo Coleschi.
  David appears in the second season of the series and is the assistant teacher of a new course at the school. He falls in love with Nicole and the two almost kiss.
• Jody, the host of "The Talent" played by Jody Cecchetto.
  Jody appears in the second season as the host of The Talent talent show, in which the characters compete.

Teachers

• Principal Augusto Ferrari, played by Roberto Citran.
  He is the headmaster of the Melsher Institute and Emma's father He is very strict and does not approve of other activities in the school besides academics. When he learns Emma is in a band, he is very angry. At the end of the first season, however, he understands the importance of music and is proud of his daughter.
• Nina, played by Debora Villa.
  She is the caretaker of the school. She behaves quite like a girl, but still assumes responsibilities. She always helps the boys in sensitive issues.
• Professor "Scorpion" Strozzi, played by Nicola Stravalaci.
  He is one of the professors of the Melsher Institute. He is very strict and demanding. He is nicknamed "Scorpion" by his students. He is destined to become the new principal, but in the end this does not happen.

In the second season, he steals the role of principal to Ferrari, thanks to the new school's proprietary, named Victoria Williams.

• Professor Giovanni Belli, played by Michele Cesari.
  He is the professor of literature at Melsher Institute, as well a former student of the same institute. He is different from all the other professors. He is much more fun, understands the students, and loves music. The principal thinks that his teaching methods are too "alternative", but the boys understand his lessons well. In the second season it turns out that he had a relationship with Linda's mother, Victoria Williams, and he fears that he might be her father.

Alex's Family

• Mom of Alex (Elena Leoni), played by Elena Lietti.
  She is demanding and caring, and warm and supportive of Alex. At first she does not understand the importance of a musical career for her son. However, after a meeting with a record company, she finally realizes how important music is for Alex. In the second season, she finds herself pregnant.
• Dad of Alex (Mr. Leoni), played by Massimiliano Magrini.
  Just like his wife, he is very demanding of Alex. Although he initially does not understand the importance of his son's band and prefers his son attend college, he later understands Alex's passion for music.
• Joe Leoni, played by Enrico Oetiker.
  He Alex's older brother of 20 years old. He attends college and receives many awards. He has a special, supportive relationship with his brother. In the second season, Alex helps him get engaged to Lara, Joe's fellow graduate student, played by Diletta Innocenti Fagni.

Nicole's Family

• Mom of Nicole (Mrs. De Ponte), played by Sara Ricci.
• Dad of Nicole (Mr. De Ponte), played by Riccardo Festa.

Christian's Family

• Mom of Christian (Ms. Alessi), played by Linda Collini.
• Dad of Christian (Mr. Alessi), played by Jgor Barbazza.

Sam's Family

• Grandma of Sam, played by Gabriella Franchini.
  She loves her grandson and is proud of him when she realizes that he is part of a band, which means he is growing more confident and less shy. She supports him in everything he does.

Linda's Family

• Victoria Williams (mother of Linda), played by Chiara Iezzi Cohen.
  She appears in the second season as the new owner of the school. She had an affair with Belli, professor of Melsher Institute, 15 years prior.

Song

The series boasts nine songs in total (two songs in the first season and seven in the second).

Season 1

1. Music Speaks (theme song of the series), sung by Sound Aloud (who will become the Alex & Co. in the second season)
2. All The While, sung by Leonardo Cecchi and Eleonora Gaggero (Alex and Nicole)

Season 2

1. We Are One, sung by Alex & Co.
2. Likewise, sung by Giulia Guerrini and by Federico Russo (Rebecca and Sam)
3. Unbelievable, sung by Alex & Co.
4. Oh my gloss, sung by Lindas (Lucrezia Di Michele, Giulia Guerrini and Asia Corvino)
5. Truth or dare, sung by Alex & Co.
6. Music Speaks (special version) sung by Carola Campagna
7. We Are One (special version) sung by Carola Campagna

Season 3

1. Nobody, sung by Leonardo Cecchi

Broadcast

The first promo of the series was released on February 2, 2015. The second was broadcast on February 23 of that year. Two promos released at a time on every Monday in March 2015, except for a promo broadcast Monday, April 20, announcing the debut of the series on May 11, 2015. The first season was broadcast until May 27, 2015, when, after the end of the last episode of the first season, a promo announced the second season, which began on September 27, 2015 and ended November 29, 2015.

There is an English-language version of the series being broadcast in Middle Eastern regions^[3] and South Africa.^[4]

Audience

Since the series first debuted in Italy on May 11, 2015, it has been broadcast recurrently. The final episode of the first season aired on May 27, 2015, and reached peaks of 250,000 viewers, of which 150,000 were children aged 4 to 16 years, and 120,000 were girls aged 8 to 16 years.^[5]

Notes

References

1. ↑ "ALEX & CO Il cast presenta il nuovo disco e annuncia la terza stagione fan in delirio a Roma e Milano" (in Italian). ilsussidiario.net. Retrieved 2016-02-01. 
2. ↑ "Apri iTunes per visualizzare in anteprima, acquist di Various Artists". iTunes. Retrieved May 18, 2016. 
3. ↑ "Alex and Co Videos". Disney Channel Middle East. Retrieved October 24, 2016. 
4. ↑ "Alex and Co Videos". Disney Channel South Africa. Retrieved October 24, 2016. 
5. ↑ http://serial.everyeye.it/notizie/alex-co-boom-di-ascolti-per-la-serie-targata-disney-channel-227668.html